Thursday, November 20, 2008

The map above is Downtown Vancouver - click on the bed icon to see the Hotels listed on the GJ Canada website - these are on the Transport Shuttle route to the Agrodome Satellite JK

BC Place is the Green button and the Blue button is Downtown JK

The restaurant icon is Vancouver's famous Simbas Grill Downtown location and the Burnaby location is below - click on them for directions.

The map below is a Greater Vancouver map highlighting key areas - the Yellow button is the Pacific National Exhibition - site of the Pacific Coliseum and the Agrodome. Click on the icons to see specific areas of interest.

His Highness the Aga Khan is presented with the insignia of Companion of the Order of Canada by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada, during a private ceremony that was held at Rideau Hall, on Monday, June 6, 2005. His Highness the Aga Khan was invested as an Honorary Companion of the Order of Canada, for his meaningful contributions to Canada.

Photographer: Sgt Eric Jolin, Rideau Hall

ADRIENNE CLARKSON

(former Governor General of Canada)

Special to Globe and Mail Update

November 20, 2008

My interest in His Highness the Aga Khan, and in his vision, dates back to 1957. Then, as a young university student, I read about Prince Karim, who had suddenly inherited his grandfather's mantle as the imam (spiritual leader) of the Ismailis. His grandfather had been a remarkable figure of worldwide renown. The young prince was still a student at Harvard, and I remember thinking, "How does he feel about inheriting this enormous responsibility as the leader of the Ismailis at the age of 20?"

Zarkava was the big winner at the at the 2008 Cartier Racing Awards in London's Grosvenor House Hotel Nov. 17, collecting both the Horse Of The Year and Cartier Champion Three-Year-Old Filly awards.

The daughter of Zamindar was unbeaten in seven starts, culminating in a brilliant Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) victory in October, and owner Aga Khan revealed that the filly's great, great grand dam had been named after his daughter Princess Zahra, who also attended the 2008 Cartier Awards.“I would like to thank Cartier for the prize that has been given to Zarkava and just share with you what she means to me," he said when accepting the Three-Year-Old Filly Award.“Zarkava goes back to my grandfather's time, to my father's time and the family carries the name of my daughter and so she is very special and I think very exceptional. Sometimes we are associated with fast ladies and this is a case when I am very happy to be associated with a fast lady.”After collecting the Horse of the Year award, the Aga Khan added: “Thank you very much for the honor and I have to mention my daughter. She bred Mandesha and she bred Darjina, and she will probably be putting her father back out to the field.”

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, officially welcomed His Highness the Aga Khan, Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and Founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network. His Highness is visiting Canada on the occasion of his Golden Jubilee

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

I went to BC Place today to volunteer for preparations for the Darbar on Tuesday Nov. 25th. What's impressing me more and more everyday is the number of youngsters who are making the committment to their faith and to MHI. I come from a time where we almost lost a whole generation of teens. In the early '80's my generation had the benefit of growing up in Africa and when we came to Canada our value systems were firmly entrenched so it was not too hard to retain our culture, faith and heritage - and off course moms stayed home while dads went off to work in their new jobs. For many new families both parents had to work so the kids, in many cases, who really grew up in Canada were heavily influenced by peer pressure and sought different answers to pressures of life. The '90's kids really grew up influenced by their grandparents who babysat them for the most part. The last 20 years have been more stable as the Canadian Ismaili nuclear family (including grandparents) firmly established themselves socially, economically and moreso their committment to their faith.So when I saw all the teens and youth working and having the time of their life it made me grateful to all the dads, moms, grandmas and grandpas who gave themselves so their kids could have a better life. We really need to say a big thank you to those pioneers who took on the challenge in 1972 - many who arrived at Canadian airports with the clothes on their backs literally - and made it a life - and a good one at that.So the message here is that when we celebrate the Deedar in the next few days let's spare a moment to shed a tear of joy of gratefulness of the blessings we've been lucky to have received in the almost 40 years of life in Canada - which was only possible due to the vision of one who may have a time horizon of 100 years or possibly more - is that not incredibly mind boggling ?....all we can do is be in total awe...

Some news from the wires today:

Governor General Welcomes His Highness the Aga Khan at Rideau HallNovember 18, 2008OTTAWA—Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, will officially welcome His Highness the Aga Khan, Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and Founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network. His Highness is visiting Canada on the occasion of his Golden Jubilee. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 19, 2008, at 4:30 p.m.

Aga Khan on eight-day visit to Canada Thaindian.com, Thailand -Toronto, Nov 20 (IANS) The Aga Khan, the spiritual head of Shia Ismaili Muslims, is on a eight-day official visit to Canada to meet his followers and the ...

BC welcomes the Aga Khan The Asian Pacific Post, CanadaA current of electrified excitement is crackling through British Columbia’s Ismaili community as the arrival in Vancouver of His Highness the Aga Khan fast ...

The Aga Khan builds a better world The Asian Pacific Post, CanadaCelebrating his Golden Jubilee as the spiritual leader of millions of Ismaili Muslims, the Aga Khan brings his message of pluralism, peace and prosperity to ...

Aga Khan to address Ismaili community here Vancouver Sun, CanadaAs Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, he will meet and address members of Canada's 75000-strong Ismaili community in special events to mark his Golden ...

Upon his arrival in Ottawa, Mawlana Hazar Imam is received by President Mohamed Manji of the Ismaili Council for Canada. The Honourable Ministers John Baird and Jason Kenney welcomed Hazar Imam on behalf of the Canadian Government. Photo: Gary Otte

Zee's Notes: Mubaraki to all on MHI's touchdown on Tuesday November 18th, 2008 at Ottawa's Macdonald-Cartier International Airport. Some interesting notes on watching the video:

Hazar Imam was met by 2 senior Cabinet Ministers from the Canadian Government as he came down the stairs off the Gulfstream jet - the Honourable John Baird, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and the Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. Next was Mohamed Manji, President of the Ismaili Council for Canada

Mobina Jaffer, the senator from BC, was the first in line to receive MHI followed by her spouse Mr. Nurullah Jeraj. Yasmin Ratansi, the Liberal member of Parliament for Toronto's Don Valley East riding was next.

The most heart warming welcome was with Justin Trudeau, recently elected as Liberal MP for the Papineau riding in Quebec, who also happens to be the son of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau - a great friend of MHI. Indeed MHI was present at the funeral in October 2000 at Montreal's Notre-Dame Basilica. A cheer ensued from the jamat, watching the video, at Burnaby Lake JK as this exchange took place.

Also in line was BC Judge Sheni Dossa (wearing the red scarf) and her spouse. Next, and receiving a cheer also from the local BC crowd, off course was our very own Darkhana M/K's (Salim and Leila Ahmed and Karim and Shairoz Nathoo) , who also had travelled to Ottawa to receive MHI.

After the Nashid al-Imamah and the Canadian national anthem, MHI's motorcade departed and passed through Lansdowne Park where the Ottawa jamat had gathered to celebrate MHI's arrival. Some great pictures and first hand commentary on this at http://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2008/11/19/ottawa-photos/ .

All in all, a great start to MHI's historic visit to Canada on the occasion of his Golden Jubilee.

OTTAWA, Nov. 18 /CNW Telbec/ - His Highness the Aga Khan, Imam (spiritualleader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and Founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) arrives in Ottawa today at the start of an 8-day visit to Canada on the occasion of his Golden Jubilee. The Aga Khan, who is in Canada as a guest of the Government, is commemorating his fifty years of leadership as Imam of the Ismaili Muslims. He will be met by The HonourableJohn Baird, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities on behalf of the Government of Canada.

During the visit, His Highness will be welcomed by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaelle Jean, Governor General of Canada and will meet with senior government officials to discuss areas of active collaboration between Canada and the AKDN.

The Aga Khan will travel to Toronto, where he will meet with The Honourable Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario. He will also preside over the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between McMaster University and the Aga Khan University (AKU), which has campuses and programmes in eight countries in South Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

During his stay in Calgary, the Aga Khan will meet with The Honourable Norman L. Kwong, Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta; Dr. Indira Samarasekera, the President of the University of Alberta, and Dr. Carl Amrhein, Provost and Vice President.

In Vancouver, the Aga Khan will meet with the Mayor of the City of Burnaby, His Worship Derek Corrigan, as well as The Honourable Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia.

The Aga Khan will meet and address gatherings of the Ismaili community in each city.

His Highness is scheduled to return to Ottawa for the official inauguration of the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat building on Sussex Drive,on December 6, 2008. The Delegation will serve a representational role for the activities of the Imamat including the AKDN, and will mark a new phase in the Imamat's partnership with Canada.

The Aga Khan Development Network has a long-standing relationship with Canada and Canadians. Over the past 25 years, the AKDN, particularly through Aga Khan Foundation Canada, has collaborated with a diverse set of institutions, including universities, government departments, the private sector and civil society organizations, to bring the best of Canada's human,intellectual and technical resources to bear on the challenges of thedeveloping world.

NOTES

Golden Jubilee of His Highness the Aga Khan His Highness the Aga Khan completed his 50th year as the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims on 11th July 2007, succeeding his grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah. The Aga Khan leads a community of 15 million Ismaili Muslims living in some 25 countries around the world and is a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). As part of the commemoration of His Highness the Aga Khan's GoldenJubilee which began on 11th July 2007, he has been paying official visits to some 35 countries, using these occasions to recognize the friendship and longstanding support of leaders of state, government and other partners in the work of the Ismaili Imamat, and to set the direction for the future, including the launching and laying of foundations for major initiatives and programmes.

The Aga Khan Development Network

His Highness the Aga Khan is founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a group of private, non-denominational development agencies working to empower communities and individuals and to improve living conditions and opportunities, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East. The Network's nine development agencies focuson social, cultural and economic development for all citizens, regardless ofgender, origin or religion. The AKDN's underlying ethic is compassion for the vulnerable in society. Its annual budget for social development is in excess of US$500 million.

www.akdn.org

Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Aga Khan Foundation Canada is a non-profit international andnon-denominational agency that supports social development programs in Asia and Africa. As a member of the world-wide Aga Khan Development Network, the Foundation works to address the root causes of poverty: finding and sharing effective and lasting solutions that help improve the quality of life for poor communities. AKFC programs focus on four core areas: health, education, rural development and building the capacity of non-governmental organizations.Gender equity and protecting the environment are integrated into everyprogram. Established in 1980, the Foundation has built a reputation in Canada as an effective development organization that acts as a catalyst forincreasing awareness and understanding of key global issues.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Zee's Notes: During the 7 days of the Golden Jubilee Games it was very, very evident the notion of Frontierless Brotherhood among the 1100 plus athletes who gathered in Nairobi. It almost seemed that every individual who came to the games was predisposed to connecting with their Ismaili brothers and sisters from other countries. Whether you were Canadian, American, Pakistani, Indian, East African, Tajik, Afghani, Syrian, French, English etc. etc. they all were one and though the games were competitive it was all about the unity and celebrating the diversity - at the end during the closing ceremonies there were no countries but simply Ismailis and all we will remember is how joyous it was to be one.

Here's a clip from the Opening Ceremonies if you haven't seen it...

Click on the link below to get a taste of the what the Frontierless Brotherhood is all about.

Zee's Notes: Today is Sunday November 16th (2 days to go for MHI's arrival in Ottawa)

Vancouver was abuzz all weekend with the performances of the 'Allah Hu' shows - all four of them sold out - even though there is so much activity in preparation for MHI's Darbar being 9 days away. The youngsters who hail from Calgary mesmerized the local crowds with their 'Qawali' show and in the JK's, the restaurants and anywhere where Ismailis gathered it was to talk up the 'Allah Hu' shows - such was the impact they had on the city. So if these talented artists come to your city do not miss their spellbinding and inspirational performance.On Saturday the local leadership gave presentations to various stakeholders on where things stood in terms of Darbar preparations. The noticeable theme in the Golden Jubilee Darbars is the effort by the leadership to keep the Jamat upto date with information. The one learning the leadership has taken away from all the Darbars held so far is that it is vital to give the Jamat info in a timely manner in order to mitigate the swell of rumors which have had major impacts - examples include the December '07 Dubai visit dates which proved to be false and the potential Summer '08 visit to Canada which also was a hoax - seemed someone had too much time on their hands - though it was a well thought out document.Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the leadership across Canada that Inshallah, their hard work and efforts be rewarded with a successful visit and a happy Imam.

Here is a great video highlighting the Golden Jubilee in various cities throughtout the world...enjoy

If I was to try and tell you of the excitement currently being felt by the Canadian Jamat with MHI set to land in Canada in 4 days - it would be understated but you can see it in the faces of the people in JK tonite. I just got back from Burnaby Lake where the Greater Vancouver Students gathered and there was a buzz like you would not believe. Tonight, the students are having their celebration under the 'Jubilee Dome' - which is a huge semi-permanent tent which serves as the social and entertainment hall. Though the preparations have been underway for months it is now a reality for the Canadian Jamat. I can imagine similar activity occuring throughout the country.

As well, it seems everyone is in meetings being held day and night in the final organizing for Vancouver which is D-10 days. Burnaby Lake was a place to see all the leaders and convenors today in what will be a marathon session but then I suspect the next 10 days will be like this everywhere.

So the big news today was the re-opening of the registration for the International Jamat for the Vancouver and Toronto Deedars. When the website opened 2 days ago the story was that Toronto had it's capacity filled in 15 minutes and in less than 24 hours all Canadian centres were full. So tomorrow November 15th the site will re-open for the International Ismailis again. The Canadian Leadership is getting on with the challenge of reciprocating the incredible hospitality Canadians were blessed to receive this past year in all the Darbars.

Tomorrow there are 3 shows the youth are presenting entitled 'Allah Hu' at Burnaby Lake and Lions Gate Headquarters JK. Inshallah, I'll try to keep you updated on a day-to day basis as to the happenings in Vancouver as we get to the magic day November 25th, 2008.

The Aga Khan will visit Vancouver on Nov. 25 for a Golden Jubilee anniversary meeting with members of B.C.'s Shia Ismaili Muslim community. "The community is very excited about having His Highness visit," said Farid Damji, a volunteer with the Ismaili Council of B.C.The Aga Khan has been spiritual leader, or Imam, to the ethnically-diverse community of Ismailis for the past 50 years. Many of his 20,000 followers in the province are expected to gather at B.C. Place Stadium for a ceremonial afternoon. "He will deliver a message and meet community leaders," said Damji. The trip is part of a worldwide tour this year. The Canadian portion runs Nov. 18-25 and Dec. 5-6.

The Aga Khan, spiritual leader to the world's 15 million Ismaili Muslims, will pay a visit to Calgary this month.The local stop on Nov. 24 -- the Aga Khan's first visit to Calgary in 16 years -- will be part of a weeklong tour of Canada, marking his 50th year at the head of the global Ismaili community. Canada is the 14th country the Aga Khan will visit as part of the celebration, with other stops in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver."We've been anticipating the possibility that he might come to Calgary, but to have it confirmed now is very exciting," says Calgary Ismaili community member Sameera Sereda. "There are a whole generation of young Ismailis who have never had the opportunity to see him." Calgarian Mansoor Ladha had the chance to interview the Aga Khan as a young journalist working in Tanzania in 1970. "We've been waiting for months and months for this announcement to come," Ladha said. "There will be Ismailis coming to Calgary from all across the Prairie provinces for this day." Community member Almoonir Dewji said Calgary's Ismaili population has doubled to about 10,000 since the Aga Khan's last visit here. "There's a tremendous feeling of grace and blessing that he's coming again," says Dewji. "He is a great role model to me personally, because he embodies the teaching of the prophet in the current time." Details of the Aga Khan's schedule while in Calgary are still being finalized, but a large communal gathering at Stampede Park is planned. In addition to his spiritual leadership, the Aga Khan has gained widespread attention for his humanitarian and economic development work in a number of Third World nations. He has been a champion of Islamic art and architecture and of the restoration and preservation of ancient Muslim archeological sites. The Aga Khan has developed close ties with Canadian leaders through the years, lauding our country as an example of religious pluralism in a world often torn along racial and spiritual lines.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Professor Shafique Virani is an award-winning author and internationally renowned public speaker who has addressed people from over 50 countries and audiences of over 15,000 people.After receiving his PhD from Harvard University, he served on the faculty at Harvard, was the Head of World Humanities at Zayed University in the UAE, and is currently Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Toronto in Canada. He has been honored by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney of Canada and President Mohammad Khatami of Iran, is the recipient of an International Book of the Year Prize, recognition from the Middle East Studies Association and the Foundation for Iranian Studies, and has also been a semi-finalist for the Academic Idol television show, which celebrates outstanding intellectuals who have a gift for communication.His landmark book, The Ismailis in the Middle Ages: A History of Survival, A Search for Salvation, was published by Oxford University Press. All author’s proceeds from this book are being donated to registered charities. Professor Virani also enjoys volunteer work. His activities take him from around the corner to around the world, volunteering his time from North America to South Asia, from Europe to Africa. Read more...

Zee's Notes: One of the most memorable stories of the GJG held in Nairobi in June 2008 was the sheer diversity of the Ismaili Community gathered in one place to commemorate this historic event. An even more compelling story was the athletes and supporters from Syria. Even though there were well over 25 countries represented no country showed the spirit that the Syrians displayed in the week that was The Games. If I said the Syrians were the life and spirit of the games I would be understating their contributions to make the games what they were - a true celebration. On the buses which transported athletes around the venues, at the volleyball courts where they displayed their skill and athleticism or at the Games Village the Syrians were the life of the games - they sang and they danced - but moreso in my view they united the 1200 plus athletes and the Ismaili Community gathered in Nairobi who got caught up in their infectious enthusiasm and spirit. In looking at the video of the Syria Deedar I couldn't help but remember the one common chant of the games - GO SYRIA GO.

The young man in the picture above is Marcel who played on the Syria basketball team. I took this picture at Kasarani Stadium after his baskeball game. He was, in essence, the soul of the Syria group. His claim to fame was an instrument - the oud - he carried throughout the games and he delighted crowds with his impromptu performances and he was indeed loved by all in Nairobi.My telling moment on Marcel is as follows: On one of the last days of the games the GJG organizing committee held a presentation for Prince Hussein and Princess Khaliya at the Nairobi Serena hotel in one of the ballrooms situated off the lobby - I just happened to be there that afternoon by chance - and I saw Marcel waiting outside - he had been invited to perform at the presentation. About an hour later I happened to see Marcel again in the lobby and this time he was being consoled by someone as tears came pouring out of his eyes and you could feel the joy Marcel was feeling within - it was surreal as that moment captured for me the essence of what the games were all about - and Syria's Marcel was indeed the soul of the games. Here is what Altaf Jina, member for Communications and Publications for Kenya Council, wrote about him on the Ismaili.org:

"One particular Syrian I spoke to on several occasions was a young man by the name of Marcel. When he played the oud (a traditional Arabic stringed instrument) it was as though he escaped to a magical world, overwhelming all those around him with the intensity of his emotion and his devotion to his music. When asked how long he could play before he got tired, Marcel passionately responded, “for hours — the instrument is a part of me, if I stopped playing, it would be like not breathing.” Marcel took part on the Syrian basketball team. He remarked that while their team had lost, the experience of interacting with other Ismailis from around the world, and exchanging thoughts and ideas with them was far more of a victory than just the sporting result. "

All I can say is - "GO SYRIA GO".

If you want to see how the Syrians worked their magic in Nairobi here's a snippet (though fuzzy) and if you want to see more of the GJG highlights this gentleman from Pakistan (there's that Diversity thing again) has captured a lot more here on his YouTube page:

Zee's Notes: On Saturday November 8th the announcement was made in all JK's across Canada of MHI's visit to Canada November 18-25th. The dates for individual cities were annouced the following day - the darbars will be held in Toronto (Nov 22/23), Calgary(Nov 24) and Vancouver(Nov 25). Complete info is available on the Canada GJ website:

The following message was in all the regional editions of the electronic Al-Akhbar on the weekend.

MESSAGE FROM THE LEADERSHIP

On behalf of all the Jamati Institutions, Mukhi Kamadia sahebs and Mukhiani Kamadiani sahebas, we extend our warmest Mubaraki to the Jamat on the historic occasion of our beloved Mawlana Hazar Imam's Golden Jubilee visit to Canada.

The Golden Jubilee is an occasion for us to renew and reaffirm our unconditional love, devotion, and loyalty to our beloved Imam-e-Zaman. We offer our humble shukrana to our Imam for his guidance, his tremendous efforts on behalf of the Jamat and the broader Ummah, and his endeavors to improve the quality of life of the communities amongst whom we live.

The celebration of Mawlana Hazar Imam's visit is a major undertaking and we sincerely thank the outstanding and selfless dedication of the countless sevadaris and donors who have contributed selflessly over many months to prepare for a memorable visit.

We pray that this historic Golden Jubilee continues to bring peace, spiritual and material happiness, and inspires the global Jamat for generations to come (Amen).

DARBAR INFORMATION

Over the coming weeks, we will keep the Jamat informed of plans every step of the way as follows:

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Zee's Notes: In April 2008 I organized a group of seniors to the LA Darbar. In the course of the organizing, I was floored by the number of people, particularly seniors, who had done multiple deedars in this Golden Jubilee year. I met a retired gentleman from Vancouver who called me 2 days before we were to depart for LA. In short, he had just come back with his spouse from Dubai and he wanted to join our group for LA which was full at the time. He also mentioned that he had also gone to the East Africa(Kampala, Nairobi and Dar), Mozambique and Madagascar darbars. I called him back a day later to give him options so he could travel with us and he shocked me by informing me he was going to San Antonio as he had a relative there and then he was going to fly to LA from there. Wow !!! and I found out later this couple made it to London and Portugal as well. I remember this story as I watched this video of MHI's Syria Visit and I thought of the couple if they made it there too....by the way try this - close your eyes and listen to the geets first, though it's 9 minutes, and then replay and watch - you'll feel something in your heart - but only if the music touches you like it did to me...enjoy

Zee's Notes: MHI recently completed his Golden Jubilee visit to Central Asia. There was a time when independant bloggers brought timely news and info on MHI's activities however, I am very impressed by the quality of info presented by our very own www.akdn.org and www.TheIsmaili.org websites. So if you want the complete news and highlights: